Swimming device



0. GRUNDMANN. SWIMMING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 3, 1 919.

Patented May 25,1920.

OTTO GRUNDMANN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SWIMMING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filed. October 3, 1919. Serial No. 328,150.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Or'ro GRUNDMANN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at 167 North street, Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swimming Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to swimming devices and has for its primary object to provide a swimming device to be applied to the leg of a swimmer and which in swimming will increase the area of the swimming surface of the foot thereby assisting the swimmer in forcing his way through'water.

Another object of this invention is to produce a swimming device of this nature which can be easily and quickly fitted upon or removed from the leg of the swimmer.

And a still further object of this invention is to so construct the device that when applied to the leg of the swimmer it will not interfere with his walking.

Additional objects of this invention are to provide means for the support of said device on the leg of a swimmer.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and defined in the appended claim- I In the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts, Figure 1 illustrates the novel device in use during swimming, Fig. 2 is a perspective side view of the device in position of use; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device in position of use and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a detail of the device.

My new device is adapted to be used in connection with a shoe such as ordinarily used for bathing and which shoe as will be hereinafter described is equipped with means for the attachment of the device to prevent the latter from swinging laterally and riding up the leg of the swimmer. It is also to be used in connection with a gartershaped band or strap to be applied below the knee of the leg, which band or strap is equipped with means for its attachment to the device to prevent the latterfrom moving in opposite direction of the leg 2'. 6. toward the foot.

The device proper of which one is used for each foot or leg consists of a paddleshapcd blade at which is so dimensioned that it will, when applied to the leg of the swimmer considerably enlarge the area of the foot. The blade is divided along its longitudinal central line into two sections a a which sections are joined together by suitable means such as hinges b enabling the sections to close and open or to swing rearwardly. The forward movement of the sections is restricted so that during the back stroke of theilimb the same form a rigid even surface. To this end the hinged members b are provided at their adjoining edges with upstanding flanges b which will meet in the center of the hinge and act as stops. This position the sections will adopt during the forward stroke, so that by reason of their increased area they will afford a greater displacement of water than afforded by the foot itself, and assist the swimmer in propelling himself. During the back stroke of the leg or during walking the sections will collapse toward the foot, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig; 3.

Somewhat removed from the center toward the rear of the blade each section is provided at its inner longitudinal edge with a substantially semi-elliptical recess a which in unfolded position of the sections will form together an elliptical opening of such a size as to loosely engage the leg just above the ankle of the foot. The elliptical shape of the opening whose longer axis extends transversely of the blade is chosen to permit the sections to freely swing toward the foot.

cl denotes a shoe as ordinarily used for bathing and which may be made of any suitable material. From the original bathing-shoe, this shoe (1 differs only in that it has attached to it means for engagement at the blade to steady the latter in position. The means used for this purpose may be either straps or the like. In the present example chains are employed. There are preferably two chains 6, one at each side of the front' part of the shoe, which are adapted to be attached in crosswise manner to the under face or rear face of the blade as at 70, 7c, and whereby the blade is held against swiveling or swinging laterally on the leg while in use. There are also two chains 7 and 9, one in front and the other at the rear of the shoe which serve to hold the blade against moving upwardly 0n the leg. For the Attachment of these chains to the blade and for the attachment of chains which extend downwardly from the front and rear portions of the band it applied to v a? of the sections al, a oftheblade and eX-,

tend transversely of the, latter. The lower chains f and g are fastened to the clownwardly projecting portions ofthe rear and frontrings 0, and the ,two chainsj extending downwardly from the band it are fastenedto-the rear and central rings 0. The two u1),1)6l Cl1llIlS j serve to hold the blade from moving downwardly or toward the foot. The, blades when applied to the legs of tliecswimmer will normally tilt downwardly as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and rest ,aga'instrthe sides ofthe shoe so as not to interfere with walking, 7

During the swimming operation the blade on the Eleg' carryingout a backwardstroke will be collapsed whilethe one carrying out a forward stroke will be unfolded presenting tothe water-a rigid even surface considerably larger in area than that of the foot and therebyv aiding the swimmer in forcing his way'throu'gh the water. The device may be easily and quickly applied to the legs of the swimmer.

In the present example three It is of course understood that various modifications may be made in the construction of the device without departing from the principle of my invention and I therefore do not wish to restrict myself to the particular details shown and described 5 except as they are specifically limited by the claim. I

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 5 e A swimmingdevice comprisinga shoe a knee; band, a blade having an openingfor loosely. engaging the leg of the user above the ankle,said blade being composed of two longitudinal sectionspivoted together to swing toward and away :flfOIIl' lll'lQ foot of the. user, means whereby said blade is flexibly suspended from said knee baliidJfiXible connections between said shoe and blade sections to" hold the blade against turning around the leg and a flexible connection be tween said shoe and blade to hold the latter from slipping up the leg.

In testimony whereof I; affix my signature in presence of'two witnesses.

M OTTO GRUNDMANN. Witnesses:

JNo. J. EGAN, r A. BRICE. 

